Pneumatic thread holder for weft replenishing looms



Fins-.1

June4,1946. AKEFI D 2,401,593

PNEUMATIC THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed Sept. 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR WALTERHWAKEFIELD OIVMZH ATTORNEY June 4, 1946. I W. H. WAKEFIELD 2,401,593

PNEUMATIC THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISZIING LOOMS Filed Sept. 24; 1945 2.Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WALTER H.WA KEF|ELD ATTORNEY Patented its. 4, 1946 PNEUMATIC THREAD HOLDERF OR WEFT RE?LENISHIN G LOOMS Walter H. Wakefield, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom. Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation oflviassachusetts- Application September 24, 1945, Serial No. 618,253

14'Claims. 1

Multicolor weft replenishing looms ordinarily operate with a magazine having a plurality of vertical stacks of reserve bobbins from which weft ends extend to some form of thread holder. It is customary in a four-color magazine to make the outside end platewith two thread slots, one

forthe thread of one pair of stacks of bobbins and the other for the-threads of the other pair. In order to prevent entanglement of the threads or weft ends of the bobbins at one stack with those of the' other stack of a pair of stacks it is customary toemploy a separating rod parallel to the thread slot, one group of threads being in front of and the other group behind the rod.

It is an important object ofmy present invention to replace the aforesaid rodswith tubes connected to a pneumatic thread control system and arrange the tubes in such manner that they will have intake mouths to receive and tension the weft ends. These tubes therefore serve the dual purpose ofseparating the weft ends into groups at the magazine and also pneumatically control the weft ends at the thread holder.

The four groups of weft ends should preferably be-kept separate in view of the fact that the bobbins of one stack may be consumed more rapidly than bobbins of the other stacks, and descent of the more rapidly consumed bobbins would result inslackness of their weft ends should the latter become etangled with weft ends of other groups. Itis another object of 'my invention to provide a guard orguide at the outer or intake end of the aforesaid tubes the effect of which will be to preserve the separation of the weft ends establisheclby the tubes adiacentgthe magazine acting in their capacitiesas thread separators.

With these" and other objects in view'which will appear as thedescription: proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts 'hereinafterdescribed and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein. two formsgoithe invention are setforth,

Fig, 1'is1a side elevation of a loom having the preferred form of my invention applied thereto, Fig. 2" is an enlarged front, elevation of. the magazine and associated parts including, my invention looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

2 Fig; 3 is a horizontal section on line 3--3 of Fig; 2, I

Fig. 4 is an" enlarged side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section on line ii fi of Fig. 2,

Fig; 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relation of the improved thread holder to the weft end of a transferred bobbin in a shuttle,

Fig. 7 isa view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modified form of the invention, and

Fig. 8 is a front elevation looking in the direction of arrow 8-. Fig. 7.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and. 2; I have shown a loom frame it) supporting a lay ll reciprocated by a crank shaft l2 and lay connectors l3. A pneumatic pump i4 is mounted in fixed position on the loom and has a piston F5 6011- nected to an upright lever I6 pivoted as at I! to the loomframe and caused to reciprocate by aconnector i8 attached to the lay' as at [9. A pneumatic pipe or-tube 20" extends forwardly from the pump Mand the latter operates in such mannor as to create subatmospheric pressures within the tube 2!! during backward strokes ofthe lay. The pump is shown as one means for creating the aforesaid subatmospheric pressures, but the invention set forth hereinafter is not limited in its use to the pump ML The magazine M comprises inner and outer bobbin guiding end plates 25 and 26, respectively, between which extend stacks of bobbins I, II, III andIV as indicatedin Fig. 3. The outer end plate 26; is provided with two thread slots 21 and 23, the formerbeing for the front pair of stacks I and II while the latter is for the rear pair of stacks III and IV.

All of the bobbins in the magazine have ex tending from them weft ends which must be held taut forproper operation of the loom. There are four groups of weft ends, one for each stack, and are designated at WI, WII, WIII and WIV. The-weft ends WIand WII pass through the forward'thread slot 27 and descend in that slot as their respective bobbins move downwardly toward a transfer position at thebottom of the.

. will the remaining weft ends.

be assumed that the rearmost stack will be charged first, in which case the weft ends WIV will pass through the slot 28 and behind the vertical part of tube 3| and then downwardly behind the horn 55 and enter the rear part of open intake mouth 56 in tube 3|. Due to subatmospheric pressures within the tube these weft ends will be drawn upwardly into it and the ends should preferably be long enough to extend into scending weft ends, however, should be kept taut and substantially free from entanglement with weft ends of the other stacks, and to effect this general purpose it has been proposed heretofore to use separating rods or the like, one for each of the slots 21 and 28. See Patent No. 1,495,717 to Ryon,

In carrying both forms of my present invention into effect I effect separation of the weft ends of the several stacks at the magazine by means of two tubes 30 and 3|, each tube having an elongated vertical run indicated at 32 and having a horizontal part 33. The vertical part 32 of each tube closely parallels its associated slot 21 and 28 and serves as a separator for the weft ends of the corresponding pair of bobbins. Thus, the weft ends WI will be in front of and weft ends WII will be behind tube 30, and likewise weft ends WIII andWIV will be in front of and behind, respectively, the tube 3|.

The upper end of each of the tubes 30 and 3| is fastened into the bottom 35 of an inclosed thread collector designated generally at C. This collector has a rear wall 36 into which extends a pipe fitting or the like 31 connected to the aforesaid tube 20. A- screen 38 may be used to prevent the yarn Y within the collector from passing into thetube 20. The collector comprises the collector to become entangled with the yarn Y. Stack III will then be filled and the weft ends from its bobbins pass through slot 28 and in front of the vertical part of tube 3| and thence downwardly in front of horn 55 and enter the front part of intake mouth 60, as indicated in Fig. 4. Likewise, the weft ends WII from the second stack will be led behind tube 36 and horn54 and enter the rear part of intake mouth 6| in tube position from which they might be drawn into 33, after which the front stack will be charged and its weft ends will be in front of tube and horn 54 and enter the front part of mouth 6|. The arm 53 is shaped as shown in Fig. 2 to prevent the weft ends W111 and WIV from getting into a mospheric pressures existing within the tubes 3|] top and right and left side walls 46, 4| and 42, s

respectively, see Figs. 2 and 5, and has a transparent slidingdoor 45 at the front end thereof.

I The door slides between top and bottom guide angles 43 and 41, respectively, appropriately held inposition on the top and bottom walls 4|] and 35, respectively. When in closed position the door 45 cooperates with the aforesaid parts of the compartment C to preserve subatmospheric pressures within the thread collector. The door can be opened from time to time to remove the accumulated yarn Y.

The upper ends of the tubes 30 and 3| open into the interior or thread compartment 48 of said collector C, hence whenever subatmospheric pressures exist within the thread collector similar pressures exist within the tubes 30'and 3|. A bracket 49 may be used to support the thread collector on the magazine.

or 3|. Each group of weft ends is separated from the weft ends of the other groups at the end plate 26 and also at the thread holder by reason of the horns 54 and 55. If it be assumed for instance that bobbin deliveries for transfer occur more rapidly from stack I than from any other stack,

the weft ends WI will descend attimes when the weft ends WII will be stationary, but due to separation of these two groups of weft ends by horn 54 the weft ends WI can be kept taut, and will not become entangled with ends WII. A similar condition exists whenever the bobbins of any other stack are consumed more rapidly than the bobbins of the remaining stacks.

A modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8 provides a type of thread guide at the intake ends of the tubes so constructed as to allow the weft ends WI and WIV to slide under the guide and approach a central position to facil- I itate threading of the shuttle after transfer. This guide, designated generally at 65, has front and back hubs and 61, respectively, in which the tubes 36 and 3|, respectively, are sweated; The hubs are joined by a web 68 formed with a smooth continuous thread engaging under surface 69.. Extending outwardly from each hub is a lug l0 and a support arm H similar toarm 5|] fits be- The horizontal outwardly extending ends 33 of ing horns 54 and 55, respectively. Eachhorn is formed with a. hub 56 integral with the block and in which is secured thehorizontal end 33 of the associated tube. As shown more clearly in Figs.

. 2 and 4 each horn extends upwardly from its corresponding tube sufliciently high to be able to engage the weft ends of the highest bobbins in the associated stacks in the magazine.

When bobbins are placed in a magazine it may tweenthe lugs and is held to them bya bolt I2. The end of arm adjacent to the lugsis extended outwardly asat I3 to serve as a guard o or separator to prevent the weft ends from being drawn into the wrong intake mouth. Horns l4 and 15 extending upwardly from hubs 66 and 61 are similar to horns 54 and 55.

The arrangement of the weft ends with respect to horns 14 and I5 and the intake mouths are as shown in Fig. 7. When a bobbin from either the front or rearmost stack is transferred its weft end will slide down along surface 69 toward a point under the arm I I. When a bobbinis transferred from one of the inner stacks its weft end WII or WIII will move down toward the arm 1|,

hence in this modified form of the invention all the weft ends tend to move toward a common central pointwhen their bobbins are transferred.

This condition facilitates threading of a shuttle into which abobbin has'been freshly transferred;

Fromthe foregoing it will be seen that I: have provided simplemeans by which the weft endsof'reserve bobbins can be separatedinto groupsaccording to their corresponding stacks, thisseparation taking in part as vertical the slots 2'! and 28-, and and 55; The latter permit weft ends WI and Wl'II to enter the front 6! and 60, respectively;

mouths.

69 toward a central are transferred.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and'modifications'may bemade therein by those" skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited'to the details herein disclosed; but What I claim is:

place not onlyat the magazine: but also at the thread holder. This resultis ac complished by having the pneumatictubes formed-i thread separators paralleling in part by the horns" 54 til-b8:

In: a weft-replenishing: loom: having a'magae .zineprovided withta pair of vertical stacks: of? reserve bobbins theweft ends of which: extend through a straightvertical slot tube within which subatmospher-ic pressures exist having" a straight; part thereof: extending vertically along and parallehto saidslot ad's aoent to-the magazineand separating the weft ends of one stack of bobbins from t-heweft ends of the other stack, the lower-end of said tube extending 1. In a weft replenishing loom havinga m'agazine provided with a pair of stacks of reserve'bobbins the weft ends of which extend through" an magazine; hollow means elongated slot in the within which subatmospheric pressures'exist, and a combined weftendseparator and pneumatic holder comprising a tube communicating with the interior of 'said' hollow means and havingan intake. mouth into which the weft ends are" drawn pneumatically, part of'saidtube' extending along said slot and separating the weft ends of one stack. of bobbins from the stack, of bobbins.

2. In a weft replenishing loom having'a magazine providedwith a pair. of stacks of. reserve bobbins the weft endsof which extend through an elongated slot in the magazine, a tube within which subatmospheric. pressures exist extending along said slot and. separating the Weft. ends of one stack of bobbins from the, weft ends of the other stack of bobbins, said tube, being, formed:

with an intake mouth into which the weft ends are drawn by reason of the subatmospheric pressures within said tube.

3. In a, weft replenishing, loomhaving a,.maga. zine provided witha pair of stacks of reserve bobbins the. weft ends of which extend through an elongated slot in the magazine, a tube. within which subatmospheric pressures exist extending along said slot adjacent to the magazine and separating the weft ends into two groups, one for each stack of bobbins, said tube having a part thereof extending away from the magazine and formed with an intake mouth spaced from the magazine and into which the weft ends are drawn due to the subatmospheric pressures within the tube.

4. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine provided with a pair of vertical stacks of reserve bobbins the Weft ends of which extend through a vertical slot in the magazine, a tube within which subatmospheric pressures exist having a part thereof extending vertically along said slot adjacent to the magazine and separating the weft ends of one stack of bobbins from the Weft ends of the other stack, the lower end of said tube extending away from the magazine and having an intake mouth in the end thereof into which the Weft ends of both stacks of bobbins are drawn weft ends of the other" in a horizontal direction away from the magazine and having an intake mouth in the end thereof spaced fromthe magazine 1 and into which the weft end's'of both stacksof' bobbins are drawn due to the subatmospheri'c pressures Within-said tube;

6. In a weft replenishing loom havinga mag'azineprovided with a pair of verticalstacks of reservebobbin-s the weft ends of whichext'end through a slot in themagazine; in'closed'm'eans supported on top of themagazi'n'e and within which subatmosphericpressuresexist, and a tube the interior of which" communicates" pneumatic ally with-the-interior of said inclosed" means; said tube having a part extending downwardly from said means along said slot and dividing the wef t" ends of one-stack of bobbins fromthe'weft ends ,of the other stack of bobbins, the lower end of spaced. from the magazine and formed with' an" intake mouthfor' the weft ends; and a Weft end separator adjacent to saidint'ake' mouths'o'position'edla-s to guide the Weft ends of"one1 of said" stacks of b'o'obinslt'oward"one part of said intake mouth and'guide the weftends'ofth'e otherstack of reserve bobbins toward anotherpartof said" intake mouth.

8. In a weft replenishing loom havinga magazine. provided' with a. pair of vertical stacks of reserve. bobbins the weft endsofwliich extend through. a. vertical slbt. in. the magazine intermediate said. stacks; a tube within which sub atmospheric pressures exist having a part extending along said slot and separating the weft ends of one stack of bobbins from the weft ends of the other stack of bobbins, said tube having the lower end thereof spaced from the magazine and formed with an intake mouth for the weft ends, and a thread separator adjacent to said intake mouth and extending upwardly therefrom in position to engage the weft ends from both of said stacks of bobbins, the weft ends of one of said stacks of bobbins lying on one side of said separator and being guided by the latter toward one part of the intake mouth, and the weft ends of the other stack of bobbins lying on separator and being guided by the latter toward another part of the intake mouth.

9. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine provided with a pair of stacks of reserve bobbins the weft ends of which extend through a slot in the magazine, a tube within which subin the magazine,

the opposite side of the weft ends into stack of bobbins, the lower end of said tube being atmospheric pressures exist extending along said slot and separating the weft ends of one stack of bobbins from the weft ends of the other stack of bobbins, said tube having one end thereof spacedfrom the magazine and formed with an intake mouth for the weft ends, and separator means adjacent to the intake mouth preserving the separation of said weft ends by said tube and causing the weft ends of one stack of bobbins to enter said intake mouth in one direction and cause the weft ends of the other stack of bobbins to enter said intake mouth in a different direction.

10. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine provided with a pair of vertical stacks of reserve bobbins which move downwardly toward transfer position, said magazine having a vertical slot through which the weft ends of the'bobbins extend, a tube within which subatmosp-heric pressures exist having a vertical part extending along said slot and dividing the weft ends into two groups, one group for each stack, the lower end ofthe tube being spaced from the magazine and having an intake mouth into which the weft ends are drawn due to subat-rnospherio pressures within said tube, and separator means extending upwardly from said intake mouth in position to preserve the separation of said groups of weft ends caused by said vertical partof the tube.

11. In a weft replenishing loom having a maga zine provided with a pair of vertical stacks of reserve bobbins which move downwardly toward transfer position, said bobbins having weft ends extending through a slot in the magazine, a tube within which subatmospheric pressures exist supported at the upper end thereof and extending downwardly along said slot and separating the two groups, one group for each bent away from the magazine and provided with an intake mouth spaced from the magazine and into which the weft ends are drawn due to the subatmospheric pressures within said tube, a support for the lower end of said tube mounted on the magazine, and a horn on said support extending upwardly from said intake mouth and preserving the separation of said weft ends into said groups and causing one of said groups to enter one side of the intake mouth and causing the other group to enter the other side of said intake a mouth. a

. 12. Ina weft replenishing loom having a magazine provided with a pair of vertical stacks of re serve bobbins which move downwardly toward transfer position from which ,the bobbins are transferred one at a time, said bobbins having arating the Weft ends into two groups,

Weft. ends extending through a slot in the magazine, atube within which subatmospheric pressures exist supported at the upper end thereof and extending downwardly along said slot and separating the weft ends into two groups, one group for each stack of bobbins, the lower end of said tube being bent away from the magazine and provided with an intake mouth spaced from the magazine and into which the weft ends are drawn dueto the subatmospheric pressures within said tube, a support for the lower end of said tube mounted on the magazine, a horn on said support extending upwardly from said intake mouth and preserving the separation of said weft ends into said groups by said tube and causing one of said groups toenter one side of the intake mouth and causing the other group to enter the other side of said intake mouth, and surrounding the lower end of the tube and hav ing said horn integral therewith and provided with a smooth thread guiding under surface for engagement with a weft end of one of said groups- When the corresponding bobbin is transferred.

13. In a weft replenishing loom having a'magazine provided with a pair of stacks of reserve bobbins the weft ends of which extend through an elongated slot in the magazine, a tube within which subatmospheric pressures exist extending along said slot adjacent to the magazine and sepone group for each stack of bobbins, said tube having a part thereof extending away from the magazine and formed with an intake mouth spaced from the magazine and into which the weft ends are drawn due to the subatmospheric pressures within the tube, and-a guide adjacent to said intakemouth separating said groups of weft ends from each other as said weft ends approach the mouth.

14. In a weftreplenishing loom having a magazine provided with a pair of stacks of reserve bobbins the weft ends of which extend through an elongated slot in the magazine, a tube within which subatmospheric pressures exist extending along said slot adjacent to the magazine and a hub on said support- 

